The DOI matches its Crossref record; 4 of the 4 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on early career researcher activity, development, career, and well-being: the state of the art
Abstract
Purpose: This paper aims to identify the documented effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on early career researcher (ECR) activity, development, career prospects and well-being. Design/methodology/approach: This is a systematic literature review of English language peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2021, which provided empirical evidence of the impact of the pandemic on ECR activity and development. The search strategy involved online databases (Scopus, Web of Science and Overton); well-established higher education journals (based on Scopus classification) and references in the retained articles (snowballing). The final sample included 11 papers. Findings: The evidence shows that ECRs have been affected in terms of research activity, researcher development, career prospects and well-being. Although many negative consequences were identified, some promising learning practices have arisen; however, these opportunities were not always fully realised. The results raise questions about differential effects across fields and possible long-term consequences where some fields and some scholars may be worse off due to priorities established as societies struggle to recover. Practical implications: There is a need for revised institutional and national policies to ensure that sufficient measures are implemented to support ECRs’ research work in a situation where new duties and chores were added during the pandemic. Originality/value: This paper provides insights into the impacts of the initial societal challenges of the pandemic on ECRs across disciplines that may have long-lasting effects on their academic development and well-being.
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“A broader systematic evaluation of other relevant mental health issues remains lacking, including clinically defined syndromes such as social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), personality disorders, eating disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, and burnout, as well as common symptoms of psychological”
From Prevalence and severity of mental health problems in early-career researchers: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2026) · cites this paper as [37]
In the citing paper
“Systematic and narrative reviews highlight additional sample-level moderators, including protective and risk factors35–42. These include financial challenges43, self-doubt44, and social and academic loneliness14,45 as risk factors, and suggest social support, a positive and future-oriented mindset, and self-care14 as potential protective factors.”
From Prevalence and severity of mental health problems in early-career researchers: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2026) · cites this paper as [37]
Citations
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Dreisoerner, A., Goetz, V., Frohnmayer, D., Tran, U. S., Voracek, M., & Nater, U. M. (2026) · Nature Human Behaviour · doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02505-5 · Cited by 2
Metadata
- Authors
- Lokhtina, I. A., Castelló, M., Lambrechts, A. A., Löfström, E., McGinn, M. K., Skakni, I., & van der Weijden, I.
- Venue
- Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education
- Publisher
- Emerald
- Published
- 2022-06-01
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 245-265
- ISSN
- 2398-4686
- Cited by
- 28
- References
- 4
- Language
- en
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